Dark Nights
by UtSuKuShIi MoOn
Summary: AU - Ryoma never believed in the supernatural or anything related to it. So when he gets his palm read and told a prophecy of his ill-fated love, Ryoma brushes it off as a ploy...that is until he gets entangled with Shusuke Fuji, a mysterious man who makes his heart flutter and beat a second faster with every smile. Remake. Yaoi Thrill Pair
1. Chapter 1

**Summary –** AU Ryoma never believed in the supernatural or anything related to it. So when he gets his palm read and told a prophecy of his ill-fated love, Ryoma brushes it off as a ploy...that is until he gets entangled with Shusuke Fuji, a mysterious man who makes his heart flutter and beat a second faster with every smile.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Prince of Tennis.

 **Warning** **:** Rated M for adult content.

 **Author's Note** : There will be OC characters. Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction is not related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy. This fanfic is based in a different world, thus first names will mostly be used.

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Seiji...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed as he watched the brunette youth struggle against the chains inside the coffin, blood continuously pouring from the slit wrists.

The young man glared at him, hatred flaring within his beautiful hazel eyes. He bared is fangs at him, growling and hissing. "Why?! Why are you doing this?! You made me into this! How could you do this to me after making me into this, Shusuke?!" Seiji roared.

Seiji pulled at the chains, but only succeeded in making himself bleed faster. His struggles started to slow, becoming weak and his eyes began to droop. His breathing slowed till it was so light, one couldn't see the heaving of his chest. The chamber fell silent as the screaming stopped, leaving only the sound of breathing from Atobe and Shusuke. Lips trembling, Shusuke reached out to touch the cold fingers of Seiji's. He could never apologize enough for doing such a cruel thing to him, but he couldn't bare to kill Seiji either. Atobe's patted his shoulder, giving him a small squeeze.

"This was the only other choice. He'll be locked here, remaining in a deep sleep. As long as no human enters and let him feed, he'll remain asleep for a long time," Atobe said.

"I know...and I'm sorry. I couldn't..." Shusuke stopped, shaking his head. "Let's go."

They left the mausoleum, the door closing with a thud behind them. Atobe chained it tightly and added a lock. When he was done, he waved for Shusuke to go. Taking a deep breath, Shusuke took one last look at the mausoleum, then turned on his heels, following after Atobe and silently saying his last goodbye to his lover.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Prince of Tennis.

 **Warning** **:** Rated M for adult content.

 **Author's Note** : There will be OC characters. Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction is not related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy. This fanfic is based in a different world, thus first names will mostly be used.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

A creak in the dark hallway startled the blond girl. She gasped, turning around on her heels. The sweep of her flashlight caught something darting around the corridor. She suppressed a scream, a squeak emitting from the back of her throat. She turned again, running in the opposite direction. Panic filled her expression as she turned a corner. A black shadow appeared in front of her. Pale hands flung out, grabbing her by the neck. It threw her, flinging her to the wall as she screamed. She crashed into the wall with a loud thud. The girl shakily clambered back onto her legs, trying to run again, but the figure was on her again. It grabbed her by the hair, tugging her backward. Her shrilled scream echoed loudly. A distorted face broke through the dark abyss. Its mouth open, revealing sharp fangs. The creature pulled the girl close, bringing its fangs down, biting into soft flesh. She struggled against his hold, but the bone crunching sound of her spine breaking as the creature squeeze her, stopped her from moving.

There was screaming again, but seeing as the girl was no longer alive, Ryoma suppressed a yawn. He glanced away from the theater screen to the side where his current "date" was gripping onto his arm and screaming. He looked around and found and heard other movie goers screaming too. He sighed. The horror movie he was currently watching had a high rating, but Ryoma couldn't find any interest in it. It was the typical movie about a group of teenagers going on a vacation, ending up in a creepy mansion that practically screamed haunted or something, and the teenagers getting killed one by one except the lead role who either kills the creature or escapes the house. The end. As for the rest of the teens who died, one will never know if teir bodies will ever be found again. Ryoma sighed again. He slumped into the chair, popping a popcorn in to his mouth. He chewed slowly, agonizingly hoping the movie would end soon.

Forty-seven minutes later, the ending credits finally filled the screen. He had been nodding off and the music woke him. Ryoma stood up, wincing when he looked over to the arm his "date" had been gripping tightly. It was bright red, angrily stinging. He pressed his lips together, slightly annoyed. He turned to leave, but his "date" wrapped an arm around his injured arm. She started chatting nonstop, talking about how scary the movie was. Ryoma sighed inwardly, ignoring her as he trudged down the aisle along with the rest of the crowd. When they finally escaped the dark movie room, Momoshiro, along with his date, An Tachibana, were already waiting for them. Ryoma quickened his pace, hoping to rid himself of the girl clinging to his arm.

"Hey!" Momoshiro greeted them as soon as he spotted them. "So, what did you think of the movie?"

Ryoma frowned, explaining his answer. His expression made Momoshiro laugh, but he didn't think it was something to laugh about. The movie really wasn't scary. It was a little on the cheesy side and boring enough to make him fall asleep. The girl next to him, however, starting talking excitedly about the movie. He sighed again, but the girl hadn't noticed. She continued to talk even as they started walking toward the exit of the cinema. Momoshiro gave him a pitying look. Her high pitched voice droned on even as they sat in the car. Momoshiro drove in silence, but even then the girl hadn't stopped. Ryoma groaned to himself, wishing the night was over already.

Momoshiro at least had the great idea of dropping her off first. Ryoma was tempted to stay inside the care, but An glared at him through the rear view mirror. Grumbling to himself, he clambered out of the car after the girl and walked her to the door. She batted her pretty, long lashes at him, no doubt hoping he would kiss her, but Ryoma merely waved a goodbye and hurriedly left. He could tell she was disappointed, but he wasn't even interested in her, so there wasn't a point to lead her on. He sighed in relief the moment he got back inside the car which was now softly playing some pop music.

"Sorry about that, Ryoma," An said, "I know you're not into women, but since it's also a secret and she wouldn't stop asking me to ask you, I forced you to go out on a date you didn't care much for."

"It's okay," he mumbled. "At least it's done and over with."

"Yeah, and hopefully she'll take your uninterested look as a hint." Momoshiro said cheerily.

"I hope," Ryoma muttered.

They dropped him off next. He got out of the car after making a promise to Momoshiro they would go out on the weekend for a tennis match. He got to his door, opening it then turned to wave goodbye to them before stepping inside the duplex house. He shuddered at the coldness inside the house. Flicking on the light switch, the light flickered on unsteadily. It blinked twice before it became a steady hum. Ryoma took off his shoes, his black jacket following next. He rummaged through the pocket, taking out his cell phone, then hung his jacket. He flicked the light off again, using his phone as his light. In his socks, he shuffled to his room. He plugged his phone into the charge, pulled out his Pjs, and then a towel to shower. After he showered, he sipped on his t-shirt and cotton pajama pants, and flopped into bed. When he rolled to his side, he noticed his phone had a text message. He swiped the phone, checking his text. Sakuno had texted him asking him about the movie. Ryoma flipped onto his stomach and started texting back, explaining how the movie was boring, he fell asleep, and his suppose date was annoying. A minute later, his phone chimed. Sakura had replied with a laughing emoticon. She also wrote that if she didn't have an exam tomorrow, she would have gone to watch it too. Ryoma hummed, quickly texting back that she shouldn't because it was a waste of money. He was just putting his phone down when it suddenly starting ringing, startling him. Arching a brow, he answered it.

"You really don't find horror movies enjoyable, don't you?" Sakuno's voice echoed on the other line without a greeting.

"They're all the same storyline anyway," Ryoma replied, rolling onto his back again. He checked that his charger was still plugged into the phone, carefully maneuvering the strip around to make it more comfortable for him to be laying on his back.

"Every story and plot has the same underlining cliché. Why don't you at least try to be excited? Halloween is coming up!"

"Don't care for it."

"You really don't believe in the supernatural? I mean, maybe not like vampires or werewolves, but what about ghosts? Demons? Halloween is also Samhain, the time of the year where the realm between the human and the Otherworld opens, letting all the supernatural creatures and the dead venture into our world."

"How long have you known me? You should know by now that things like that are make belief stories meant to scare children." Ryoma yawned.

Sakuno laughed on the other end of the line. "Of course, that is very you, my dear childhood friend. Anyways, I'll let you off now. We both have an early start with classes tomorrow."

"Mmm."

"Oh! Before I forget, are you going to Horio's Halloween Party?"

Ryoma cringed slightly. "I...don't think so."

"Ohhh, please go! I don't want to go alone!"

"You're not going alone. Momo and An is going too."

"But I'm not close to them like you are! Pleeeease!"

Ryoma grumbled, but sighed. He agreed to go, but only hoped to stay for an hour or two. He didn't really like parties. Sakuno squealed in delight which was probably the only reason why he agreed to go. Sakuno was like family to him. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Ryoma pulled the blankets over himself, falling asleep. He dreamed of dark hallways and running around corridors, all the while red eyes chased after him.

* * *

The weekend came around faster than he expected. Luckily, he wasn't called in for work, so he gathered his tennis equipments and met up with Momoshiro waiting in the car outside. An and Sakuno decided to join them at the last minute, so they made a detour and picked them up along the way. Ryoma sat in the passenger seat, watching the passing view of buildings and scenery. He could hear Sakuno and An talking, but didn't pay attention to their topic. Instead he focused on the Halloween décor of the town.

Halloween was a huge holiday for their town. As far as he could remember, their town was said to be founded on the day of Samhain and was actually near a portal that opened to the Otherworld. The founder of the town, Masatsuna Nagahiko, fought off the evils that entered into their world and even created a group to hunt down otherworldly creatures. A story which has been told hundreds of time over, even when he was in elementary school, was the story of Seiji Hamura, who fell in love with an otherworldly creature, specifically a vampire. The Hunters went after him to stop his rendezvous with the vampire, but when they found him, it was too late. Seiji had turned into a vampire. The Hunters fought him and killed him. The vampire that turned him disappeared. Ever since then the otherworldly creatures feared the Hunters of the town and never returned. However, on one day of every year, the creatures of the Otherworld would always return, Halloween. Ryoma frowned as he went over the story in his head. If the creatures from the Otherworld always returned on the same day, he didn't understand why it was celebrated joyously. He sighed. "I don't understand."

Sakuno and An stopped abruptly in their conversation to stare at him. Sakuno smiled and asked, "Don't understand what?"

"If Halloween, Samhain, whichever it is, is suppose to be the day where monsters come into our world, why do we celebrate it with laughter? Shouldn't we be scared and stay indoors?"

"Well, that's why we wear costumes. It's to prevent the _monsters_ from knowing we are human," An answered.

Ryoma scoffed. "If they're not human, I'm sure they can tell we are human even with a costume on. And what's with the idea of handing out candy?"

Momoshiro burst into a laugh. He shook his head. "Ryoma, Halloween isn't meant to be thought about logically. I thought you didn't believe in that stuff anyway?"

"I don't. I'm just trying to make sense of it." Ryoma shrugged.

"You know the story of Seiji Hamura?"

"How can we not? We're practically told that story every year during October. We know the story by heart. Seiji who fell in love with a vampire, got turned into one, and was killed by the Hunters." An summarized the story to the basic points.

"My grandmother," Sakuno started, "said that Seiji was actually killed on Halloween day. Our town has a different reason to celebrate this day. It's because the Hunters were able to stop Seiji. To be honest though...I think it's a little sad. He was in love, but his love was unacceptable and he was punished for it."

"Oh Sakuno, you romanticize everything," An teased.

Ryoma could see Sakuno blushing from the rear view mirror. His lips lifted slightly in amusement. Sighing, he flicked his gaze back to the side window. He also thought Sakuno was right. The story of Seiji Hamura was sad. He was in love with a vampire, was turned into one, maybe because he wanted to become one so he could be with his lover forever, but in the end, he was abandoned by said lover and sentenced to the cruel death by the hands of the Hunters.

"Okay, we're here!" Momoshiro announced.

Ryoma broke from his thoughts. He got out of the car and grabbed his racquet from the trunk. The four of them settled onto the open tennis courts. An and Sakuno watched from the sidelines while he and Momoshiro played a match. Best two out of three with six games. It was the usual match. Ryoma won the first round, but Momoshiro had wanted a rematch. Again, they played and played until it was nearly sunset and the girls were complaining about getting hungry. Momoshiro suggested he and Ryoma shower first before they head out for dinner. All four agreeing to his idea, they stopped by Momoshiro's house first, then Ryoma's. From there, they went to the local diner which was actually owned by Sakuno's grandmother, who also happened to be Ryoma's and Momoshiro's tennis coach back in high school.

Though they had all graduated, only Momoshiro and Ryoma stayed behind in the town. Everyone else went off to college in the city or left to go pro, like their captain, Tezuka. Ryoma still remained in contact with him, but lately he hadn't been able to email him or vice versa since Tezuka was now in Germany and busy with becoming a pro tennis player. He missed his captain, partially because he once had a crush on him, but also because Tezuka was a great tennis player and he wanted to play against him once more.

Shaking off his thoughts, he turned back to the conversation at hand while they were being led to a table. Once settled, they ordered their usual and waited. The conversation returned to the local lore, Seiji Hamura.

"Do you think the vampire that turned him is still alive?" Sakuno asked.

"Considering the story isn't real, no," Ryoma replied blandly.

Sakuno sighed. "Okay, fine. _If_ it was real, do you think he is still alive?"

"The tale doesn't talk about it, only that the otherworldly creatures went into hiding," An said thoughtfully, "maybe the vampire is still alive."

Ryoma saw Sakuno shudder at the thought of the vampire still alive. He rolled his eyes. "It's a _story_ , not a real event that happened."

"But don't you think-" Sakurano was interrupted by the arrival of their food, served by none other than her grandmother. "Hi grandma!"

"Hello Sakuno. And how are you four today?" she asked, setting the plates down in front of them.

"Ryoma and Momo just got done playing a few tennis matches. We were watching them," An answered happily.

"Oh? Good to know you two still practice tennis," Sumire said, patting both Ryoma's and Momoshiro's shoulders. She talked to them for a bit, then left them to eat.

As they ate, Sakuno suggested they check out the vendors. In October, their town always gets visitors from all over the city, some tourists, others setting up business for the Halloween month. Each year always brought different vendors, so it was always different and new. Ryoma didn't want to, but the other three begged him till he agreed. Sighing inwardly, he finished the rest of his dinner. When they were done, they paid for the food and left to explore the street vendors that were now setting up in the market. It was a long straight street that led to the dark, dense forest that surrounded their town. As they walked along the sidewalk, peering at each merchant's items, Ryoma would find himself looking to the forest. As children, the adults always told them never to wander into the forest at dark or the creatures from the Otherworld that never left would eat them. It wasn't true. In high school, the student council set up a courage test for the senior class to test out the theory. Everyone always came back unscathed and every one also knew the ones scaring the students were just other students or adults.

"Oh! Look, a palm reading booth!" An exclaimed, pointing to a deep purple tent lined with gold engravings.

Ryoma looked over to it, curious at the engravings. He followed after the three as they hurried over to the tent. An opened the flap, calling out to see if anyone was there. Even standing outside, Ryoma could barely see inside. It was dark, a little unsettling. Suddenly, a light flared on. A flame flicked on the wick of a single candle, but it lit the whole tent inside. The light of the candle reflected against colorful glass mobiles hanging from the top. A kaleidoscope of colors splattered against the cloth walls and floor. An intricate, swirl, designed rug was placed in the middle of the tent. A lady dressed in a dark red cloak sat behind a table. Gold bracelets clinked against one another as she folded her hands atop. When she looked up from beneath long, dark lashes, Ryoma saw a flash of gold and green, but it quickly disappeared. Ryoma looked into her eyes once more, but they were now a hazel brown.

"Welcome," she greeted in a sweet, lilting voice. "Would you like your palm read?"

An walked in, tugging Momoshiro along. Sakuno followed behind them. She stopped, looking over her shoulder to raise a brow at him. Ryoma sighed again. He forced his feet to move, trailing inside the tent with them. He stood awkwardly to the side as An tightly pulled Momoshiro along with her to the table and sat them down across from the psychic lady.

"I want a reading on our relationship," An said.

Momoshiro's eyes widened. "Wha-? Ah, come on An, we don't need someone telling us what our relationship will be like in the future."

"Afraid?" the psychic asked with a lift of her lips.

"No!" Momoshiro exclaimed.

"Then why don't you give it a try?" The woman unfolded her hands, resting so her palms faced upward. "Give me your hands."

An quickly put her hands in the woman's. Momoshiro was a little reluctant at first, but eventually did. Arching a brow, Ryoma stepped closer to see. The palm reader examined their palms, slowly tracing each lines with her eyes. Again, he could almost see her eyes glow a bright gold green before returning to a hazel brown. She smiled serenely.

"The two of you will have a long, healthy relationship. The two of you will grow old together and live a good life. You will have two children...you will also see them grow up to be married and have four grandchildren," she said quietly. The psychic looked up from their palms, her eyes seeming to shine a bit.

An squealed, hugging Momoshiro. Ryoma huffed a laugh when he noticed Momoshiro was blushing. They got up, thanking up. Sakuno quickly sat down, holding her hand out. "I would like my palm read as well. I have an exam coming up. Will I pass it?"

The lady nodded. She touched Sakuno's hand, once again tracing the lines with her eyes. Slowly, she nodded her head again, humming. "Yes, you will. Study hard and you will definitely pass."

Sakuno smiled brightly. She got up and turned to him. "You should try it too."

Ryoma shook his head. "I don't need my palm read. There's nothing I'm concerned about anyway."

"What about your love life then? Your last boyfriend wasn't exactly...the most exemplary." Sakuno tapped her chin with her chin. "So, let's see how your love life is."

She tugged on his arm and forced him to sit down, despite him trying to struggle against her. Groaning in irritation, he sat with his arms folded across his chest.

"Come on, Ryoma. Just try it," Momoshiro urged, "it's not like it will harm you."

Huffing, Ryoma glared at him. He relented, placing his hand hand. The psychic lady chuckled at his antics, but gently held his hand in hers. At first she traced the lined with her eyes, but the smile that was on her face faltered, and she reached out to trace the lines softly. Ryoma shuddered from her touch. He watched her intently, brows furrowing when she looked up at him, her expression grim. A touch of chill grazed his skin, sending goosebumps along on his arm.

"You will meet your true love soon...under the night of the new moon. The trees of the forest will be your witness," she whispered, suddenly gripping his fingers tightly in her hands. She stared into his eyes, a sad and sorrowful look passing through hers. "But you must listen closely. It is an ill-fated love. You must avoid it at all cost...this love will only end in death."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Sooo, for those who may have been following my previous work for this story by the same title, I scrapped it. I scrapped the storyline of the previous _Dark Nights_ and decided to re-write the plot. It is slightly the same plot-wise, but also very different. For one, Fuji isn't Ryoma's guardian. XD I hope this new revised version will be better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Prince of Tennis.

 **Warning** **:** Rated M for adult content.

 **Author's Note** : There will be OC characters. Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction is not related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy. This fanfic is based in a different world, thus first names will mostly be used.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

He heard Sakuno gasp from behind. Ryoma pulled his hand away. A sudden chill bit deep into his bones as if warning him. Pressing his lips together, he stared at the psychic bemusedly. What was she trying to pull? Had she wanted to make it more dramatic since Momoshiro, An, and Sakuno had positive readings. Whatever the case was, Ryoma didn't care for her psychic reading. "Right, well...I'll be sure to heed your words." He stood. He didn't believe a single word she said. "Let's go." He turned to leave, ignoring the quietness inside the tent and the looked of concern on the other three faces. They hurried on out, Ryoma the last to leave. As the tent entrance flap fell behind him, he heard the psychic's voice.

"You must be wary. The man you meet will not be who you expect him to be. Take heed of my words, Ryoma Echizen. I beg you of it..." Her voice said; sounding so close to his ear, he expected her to be right next to him.

Ryoma shuddered. He swirled around, expecting to find her, but no one was there and the tent remained close. He stared at it as if willing her to come out, but she didn't. Another cold breeze brushed along his skin. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he swiveled back around, trudging along behind the other three. It seemed they hadn't heard anything. Frowning, he brushed the voice off as his imagination. There was no point in worrying about something a fake psychic said.

Their outing resumed, though it was a lot more subdued. Even when they decided to go home, no one brought up the subject of the psychic. Ryoma was slightly glad for it. When they arrived at his house, he got out. He waved goodbye, noticing Sakuno's worried face. Sighing inwardly, he smiled at her in hopes to calm her. He turned and walked to his door. He made one last wave to them before entering. As soon as he stepped inside, he took note of the coldness. He shivered even while wrapped tightly in his jacket. Despite how dark it was inside, he shuffled his way around the small duplex, flicking on he light switch along the way. For a moment, he thought he spotted something dark wink out from the corner of his eyes as soon as the light went on. He paused, fingers still on the switch. Ryoma swallowed slowly, turning his head to look at the spot where he had seen the silhouette. Nothing was there as he expected. Still, his heart pounded a second faster. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm. He didn't believe in things such as ghosts or anything supernatural. It was just the words of the psychic having a lingering affect him. It wasn't true anyways.

Opening his eyes again, he made his way to the location of the previously seen shadow. He stopped, blinking and looking down his dark hallway. Seeing nothing, he turned back. He still had his shoes on and needed to remove them. However, as he turned to face the door, he realized there was a pair of shoes he hadn't seen before. Before he could investigate, he felt a presence behind him. Ryoma jerked, trying to catch whoever was behind him. Instead, a pair of hands wrapped around him. A hand covered his mouth, muffling his yelp. Scowling, Ryoma shoved his arm back, elbowing the perpetrator in the stomach. The thief grunted, releasing his hold. Ryoma turned around, catching sight of the black hood. His hand clenched into fists, ready to defend himself when he saw the burglar reach a hand out, palm facing him as if telling to stop. In the midst of adrenaline, he heard the burglar laughing. Puzzled, Ryoma stepped back. His hands unclenched and gawked as the hood fell away from the intruder to reveal...his brother, Ryoga, laughing hysterically. Ryoma scowled, his hands once again clenched. He swung, punching Ryoga in the solar plexus. Ignoring the loud groan from his unexpected brother, he turned with an annoyed 'hmph.' He walked back to the door entrance, removed his shoes, then went back to Ryoga who was still groaning in pain while laughing in between. "What the hell, Ryoga? I thought you were in New York," he said.

Ryoga wheezed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "You should have seen your face, but shit, you really pack a punch now, baby brother." Ryoga straightened, rubbing his injured stomach. He winced slightly. "I thought I would come by to visit and see how my baby brother was doing."

"Stop calling me that. I'm twenty now."

"Doesn't change that you're still my baby bro."

"How did you get in?" Ryoma glared.

"Asked mom for the extra key." Ryoga grinned.

Clucking his tongue, he walked into his tiny kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. He threw one to Ryoga who had settled himself on the cream colored couch in his living room. He plopped himself beside his older brother. The remote in hand, Ryoga turned on the television. Immediately, a tennis match blinked on. Ryoma caught the tug of a smile on Ryoga's lips.

"Tennis as usual," Ryoga muttered.

"Our whole family is a tennis fanatic, so of course I would be watching anything related to tennis," Ryoma said with a shrug of his left shoulder.

"Have you ever thought about leaving here and pursuing tennis professionally? You already have the skills to enter into competitions. And you're still young."

The light of the television reflected brightly against his face despite the ceiling lights. He stared at the screen, drinking in Ryoga's words. At one point in his twenty years of life, he had thought about leaving to pursue tennis as a career. There was even the thought of following after Tezuka to Germany, but somehow it felt wrong at the same time. It was as if some invisible force was making him stay behind. He didn't want to leave. Ryoma sighed. "I don't know."

"You should. I'd like to go against you in a real competition," Ryoga said with a smirk.

Ryoma rolled his eyes at him. "So, what's the real reason you came back?"

Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly. "I needed a break from tennis."

"You? A break from tennis?"

"Yup. And...it's October, Halloween month. Our little town here always had the best celebration for Halloween. I wouldn't miss it. You doing anything?"

"Halloween party." Ryoma grumbled, remembering he had agreed to go for Sakuno's sake.

"Oh! I want to go too!" Ryoga turned to him, his eyes shining brightly.

"...You want to come hang out with a bunch of college students?"

"There's going to be alcohol and lots of ladies to talk to, right?"

"Probably..."

"Then yes, I'm going, even if you say no. Where is it going to be?"

"Uh," Ryoma frowned. He wasn't too sure either. Taking out his cell phone, he swiped to his text and retrieved the address. He handed the phone to Ryoga.

"Hm? What the—how the hell did they get this place?" Ryoga's eyes widen in surprise.

"What place?"

"Don't you know? This is the mansion by the forest."

"The rumored abandoned mansion?"

"Yeah, but it's not really abandoned. Back when I was in high school, me and a couple of my friends went to check out the place. Creepy as hell, almost as if we stepped into a horror movie. Anyways, we tried to jumped over the gates when a bunch of bats flew out of nowhere. And then a man dressed in a red robe was standing by the gates and threatening to call the local authorities for trespassing. Least to say, we took off, but that took us by surprise."

"That mansion...it's been around since the founding of the town, right?"

"Uh huh. It's rumored to be the house where the vampire, who turned Seiji Hamura into a vampire, lives." Ryoga grinned. "I bet that man we met was him."

Ryoma scoffed. "Right, and the bats were him before he changed into his human form to confront you guys."

Ryoga laughed. "Come on, Ryoma. Can't you believe it?"

"No." Ryoma crossed his arms, one eyebrow lifted. "It's just not possible."

Tomorrow was going to be an early start for him. Ryoma got up, readying himself for bed. Seeing as it was already dark, he grabbed a few blankets for Ryoga to sleep on the couch before he headed for bed. As he settled into his bed, he stared up at the popcorn ceiling. Darkness was never something to be afraid about. People's mind always played with them when their imagination ran wild. Things they saw in the dark were merely harmless objects with the light of day. Yet, as he lay in bed staring at his ceiling, the creaks in the house sent goosebumps down his spine even though his heavy, thick blanket provided warmth. Shadows seem to move in the abyss, crawling along his walls. Ryoma closed his eyes. There was nothing to fear. Vampires, ghosts, ghouls, zombies, everything supernatural were stories and make belief meant to scare children. And he was not a child anymore.

Rolling to lay on his side, he pulled the blankets higher and fell asleep. But his dreams offered no peace. He was running through the forest. He could feel the gaze of heat crawling up his back, a thirst for hunger chasing him, licking the heels of his feet. _Hunted_. He was being hunted like a prey. His breath heaved harshly, his lungs hurt, and his sides pinched in pain. The scent of blood filled his nostril. He didn't dare to look over his shoulders. Squeezing his eyes, he forced his legs to run faster. He was so close to the end, but then he ran into something. Claws dug into his skin, shocking him with agony. He screamed, his eyes opening quickly to see a pair of red eyes staring hungrily at him. He struggle, but the claw bit deeper into his flesh. White fangs gleamed in the light of the moon, fast approaching him. He shut his eyes again, mouth opening for another scream. And then he woke with a sudden jolt.

Ryoma sat up, sweat clinging to him, soaking his shirt. His was breathing heavily, chest rising quickly. Swallowing to quench his parch throat, he licked his dry lips. He shakily threw the covers aside. He grabbed his phone, checking the time. It was early morning, just a few minutes before his alarm clock was set to ring. He quickly deactivated it. Ryoma blew a breath, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. Swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, he bent forward, resting his head in the palms of his hands. Slowly, his heartbeat steadied, but even awake, the reminiscent images of his dream continued to haunt him. Squeezing his eyes, he took another shuddering breath. He shook his head and stood. Deciding he should do something to forget the dream, he changed into his jogging clothes. He went to the bathroom to wash up, then the living room to put on his tennis shoes. He looked over his shoulder to see the sleeping form of Ryoga still on the couch. Every minute or so, he could hear him snore. The sight and sound of him calmed Ryoma down a little. He wasn't alone. Another deep breath and then he was up and out the door for his morning run.

While on his jog, Momoshiro met up with him and the two of them ran side by side companionably. Ryoma breathed in the fresh crisp air of morning. The cool air took away the nightmare from last night. Calmer, he focused on his run, even racing with Momoshiro. They turned onto the main street with the vendors. As they ran, Ryoma spotted the psychic tent, but chose to look away. He ignored it as they ran pass. They ran to the end, wrapped around to the other side of the street, and ran back the same way they came. When they neared Momoshiro's home, he waved goodbye. Ryoma waved back, continuing his run back home.

By the time he returned, he found Ryoga already gone. Stripping off his jogging clothes, he got ready for his day—classes and work. And so went the rest of his week and the ensuing days. The nightmare never returned, but had left a strange memory in him. Every now and then, Ryoma would recall the dream, but most days it was a blur. The feeling of being hunted slowly disappeared, leaving his heart at ease. And then before he knew it, it was Halloween.

Ryoma never decided which costume to wear to the party, so when Sakuno had showed up on his doorstep, she was appalled. He refused to go shopping for a one time costume, stating he would just wear his tennis outfit and apply some red ink for fake blood. His idea, however creative it was for him, was thrown out the window by Sakuno. Grumbling, he put on his shoes and let himself be led out of the house by Sakuno.

Back on the main street once more, he and Sakuno went from store to store, looking for the perfect costume. Or rather, Sakuno was looking for the perfect costume while he didn't care. A few hours into the shopping, Sakuno finally decided with a nurse costume. As for Ryoma, Sakuno chose a vampire outfit for him. Returning to his house, Sakuno began to work on their costume. By the time they were finished, Ryoma was impressed by her outfit. She was like the exact replica of the horror nurse from _Silent Hill_. As for him, he wore an all black Gothic suit with a black cape, clasped by a silver chain. The interior of the cape was red and it was lined with gold threading. His hair was slicked back with gel. He wore fake fangs and red eye contacts. To complete the look, Sakuno attached clip-on earring beads down the left side of his ear. Ryoma looked at himself in the mirror, his lips lifted slightly. He glanced over to Sakuno who stood beside him. "Okay, I admit, this is very nice," he said. Even covered, he could tell Sakuno was blushing with a shy smile. Outside, he heard a car honk. "That's probably Momo and An."

The two hurried out, getting into the car. Ryoma was almost take aback by the sight of Momoshiro and An. Both were decked out in their costume, An as a bloody bride and Momoshiro as a mummy. After complimenting their outfit, they drove off. Ryoma looked out the window as they passed through the main street. The psychic's tent came into view. To his surprise, the psychic was standing outside of it. As if she noticed his presence, she lifted her head. Their eyes connected. Her face was lined with pain. Ryoma looked away first, swallowing thickly. He closed his eyes, letting the rumble of the car take away his concern. Soon they left the town, entering onto the dirt path of the forest trail. With no street lights, only the headlights of the car lit their way. Deeper and deeper they went until they came upon a fork in the road. Momoshiro veered left. The trees of the forest began to break away, paving way to a clearing. They slowed down a stop. A wrought iron gate with pointed tips blocked their path. Ryoma peered through the front window. The mansion looked as if it came out from a horror movie. It was an old Victorian inspired design with pointed spires and arched windows. Stairs led up, opening to a front porch. Double doors remained closed. Everything around it looked dead or abandoned. Only the bright, yellow hue casting from the windows indicated there was some semblance to activity. Ryoma didn't need to comment about the eerie atmosphere since he could feel the tension in the car. Even the hair on his nape and arm stood on edge.

"This takes Halloween party to a whole new level," Momoshiro whispered, his breath a steam of fog in the suddenly cold car.

"Let's hurry," An said, her voice strained.

Nodding, Momoshiro motioned for Ryoma to get out with him to open the gate. But as they reached for the car door, the gate swung outward as if welcoming them in.

"Fucking creepy," Momoshiro said.

"Just go," Ryoma said, "Rather be inside than out here."

Momoshiro shifted car back to drive and they slowly drove in. When they got closer, Ryoma spotted a few more cars. The alarming tingle in the base of his spine eased a little, but he still remained alert. Momoshiro parked and they got out. Together, they climbed the stairs. Curiously, Ryoma glanced up at the windows. For a second, he thought he saw a while silhouette staring down at them from the one of the darken windows. When he blinked, the image was gone. Ryoma rubbed his eyes and looked again, but it wasn't there. Thinking it was just an imagination of his mind, he quickly caught up to the others. They reached the doors, hearing the muffled pounding music. His shoulders relaxed. He could see the other three doing the same. An rang the doorbell. The double door suddenly opened inward. Horio stood in the doorway, grinning. Ryoma blinked, staring at Horio's outfit which was the same as his, except he didn't have the added accessories.

"Huh? Ryoma, you copied me!" Horio said.

"This was last minute planning," Ryoma muttered.

"Oh well, come on in you guys!"

Inside the mansion, Ryoma was bombarded with music and people. Lots of people. Regardless of the crowd, it didn't take away the jaw dropping interior design. A grand chandelier hung atop of the entrance lobby. Directly in front of him was a double staircase with elaborate art nouveau railings. White painted walls, wooden flooring, red and gold rugs. Paintings of scenery hung on the walls, but what captured his attention was the large portrait of a man in the center on the wall on the second floor. He had dark gray hair, hair parted in the middle, and a noticeable mole under his eye. "Who's that?' Ryoma asked, head nodding at the portrait.

Horio beamed a smile. "That's Keigo Atobe, the owner of this mansion!"

Ryoma rasied a brow. "And exactly how did you meet him?"

Horio puffed his chest, nose lifted up. He rested his hands on his hips. "I was talking about where to host the party at the diner when he suddenly came up to me and said he was willing to let his house be used. At first I was iffy, but then he said that he owned this mansion, so I agreed immediately. After all, the best place to host a Halloween party is at a mansion that is rumored to be haunted too!"

"Yeah, it was creepy coming here," An chimed in.

"Can you trust this guy?" Momoshiro asked.

Horio frowned. "He didn't seem like a bad guy! Enough of this already, let's party!"

They were ushered into the living room. Ryoma noted the grand piano first before he found the snack table. Eyes roaming around, he also spotted Ryoga already there, costumed up in a Freddy Krueger outfit. He was flirting, as usual, with one of the girls. Ryoma shook his head, wandering away. When he looked around again, he realized he had lost track of the others. He was alone in a crowd of strangers. Frowning, he pushed through the throng of pulsing, dancing bodies of people. He fought his way over to the wall where he was hoping he could hide himself. The light had dimmed somewhat and there was no doubt many of the people were drunk. On his way, a girl dressed in a skimpy witch costume collided with him. Her words slurred together as she tried to rub up against him in a suppose sensuous dance, but Ryoma maneuvered her to the side. She ended up dancing with some other guy. Huffing under his breath, he eventually pushed pass the last barricade of bodies, but the moment the wall came into view, he second thought his decision.

Couples were making out fervently. He shouldn't have been surprised, but his body still recoiled. Slightly disgusted, he moved back into the crowd. Maybe he could find some space upstairs. He stumbled back into the foyer, finding there were less people there. He climbed the stairs, a step at a time. His eyes fell back to the portrait of Keigo Atobe when he reached the top. His eyes looked eerily real, almost as if it was staring at him. Glancing away, he wandered the halls until he found a doorway to the balcony. He quickly hurried to it, stepping out into the cool air. Ryoma too a deep breath, soaking in the fresh air. He exhaled slowly. Leaning against the stone railing, he closed his eyes. The cold air touched his skin, cooling him.

"A bit stuffy in there, isn't it?" a voice called out.

Surprised, Ryoma's eyes fluttered open. He spun to the side, eyes staring into darkness. A shadow moved, stepping away from the shadows and into the casting light from inside the building. Pale skin, light brown hair, and a pair of cerulean, blue eyes came into view. Ryoma's breath caught. The man was beautiful, dressed in an old fashion suit with a blue vest to match his eyes. The silver cuff links blinked in reflection of the light. Ryoma couldn't find the words to answer. He only nodded. Looking away quickly to hide a blush, he found his gaze on the sky. A sliver of the crescent moon hung in the midnight, blue painted sky. A new moon. The breeze blew and with it came the scent of earth, citrus and musk—the smell of the beautiful, handsome man. The rustle of the forest trees around them echoed deep in his ears. Ryoma blinked, long and slow. He turned to face the man once more; the psychic's words rung in the back of his mind. An ill-fated love met under the night of a new moon with the trees as his witness.

* * *

 **Author's note:** I actually thought about releasing this on Halloween. But then that would take too long, so I decided against it. Well, here is chapter two. Working on chapter three. I apologize if there are typos. I try my best to catch and often fix them when I see them, even after posting up the chapter.


End file.
